Senate Bill 1622
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Florida Senate - 2000 SB 1622
By Senator Dyer
14-248A-00
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to state uniform traffic
3 control; creating s. 316.29545, F.S.; directing
4 the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
5 Vehicles to provide for the issuance of medical
6 exemption certificates to certain persons who
7 may operate a motor vehicle with sunscreening
8 materials that are not in compliance with state
9 law; providing for exemptions for certain law
10 enforcement vehicles; providing for a fee;
11 amending s. 316.2954, F.S.; revising standards
12 for window tinting; providing penalties;
13 amending s. 316.220, F.S.; prohibiting material
14 that alters light color from being placed over
15 a headlamp; providing penalties; amending s.
16 316.221, F.S.; prohibiting material that alters
17 visibility from being placed over a taillamp;
18 providing penalties; amending s. 316.234, F.S.;
19 prohibiting material that alters visibility
20 from being placed over a stop lamp or turn
21 signal lamp; providing penalties; amending s.
22 316.237, F.S.; prohibiting material that alters
23 visibility from being placed over a headlamp;
24 providing penalties; amending s. 316.605, F.S.;
25 prohibiting material that covers any part
26 thereof from being placed over a license plate;
27 providing penalties; providing an effective
28 date.
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30 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Florida Senate - 2000 SB 1622
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1 Section 1. Section 316.29545, Florida Statutes, is
2 created to read:
3 316.29545 Window sunscreening exclusions; medical
4 exemption; certain law enforcement vehicles exempt.--
5 (1) The department shall issue medical exemption
6 certificates to persons who are afflicted with Lupus or
7 similar medical conditions that require a limited exposure to
8 light, which certificates shall entitle the person to whom the
9 certificate is issued to have sunscreening material on the
10 windshield, side windows, and windows behind the driver which
11 are in violation of the requirements of ss. 316.2951-316.2957.
12 The department shall provide, by rule, for the form of the
13 medical certificate authorized by this section. At a minimum,
14 the medical exemption certificate shall include a vehicle
15 description with the make, model, year, vehicle identification
16 number, and medical exemption decal number issued for the
17 vehicle and the name of the person or persons who are the
18 registered owners of the vehicle. A medical exemption
19 certificate is not transferable and becomes null and void upon
20 the sale or transfer of the vehicle identified on the
21 certificate.
22 (2) The department shall exempt all law enforcement
23 vehicles used in undercover or canine operations from the
24 window sunscreening requirements of ss. 316.2951-316.2957.
25 (3) The department may charge a fee in an amount
26 sufficient to defray the expenses of issuing a medical
27 exemption certificate described in subsection (1).
28 Section 2. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1) of
29 section 316.2954, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
30 316.2954 Windows behind the driver; restrictions on
31 sunscreening material.--
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Florida Senate - 2000 SB 1622
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1 (1) A person shall not operate any motor vehicle on
2 any public highway, road, or street on which vehicle any
3 windows behind the driver are composed of, covered by, or
4 treated with any sunscreening material, or other product or
5 material which has the effect of making the window
6 nontransparent or which would alter the window's color,
7 increase its reflectivity, or reduce its light transmittance,
8 except as specified below:
9 (a) Sunscreening material consisting of film that
10 which, when applied to and tested on the rear window glass of
11 the specific motor vehicle, has a total solar reflectance of
12 visible light of not more than 25 35 percent as measured on
13 the nonfilm side and a light transmittance of at least 28 15
14 percent in the visible light range; however, sunscreening
15 material that which, when applied to and tested on the rear
16 window glass of the specific motor vehicle, has a total solar
17 reflectance of visible light of not more than 25 35 percent as
18 measured on the nonfilm side and a light transmittance of at
19 least 15 6 percent in the visible light range may be used on
20 multipurpose passenger vehicles and law enforcement vehicles.
21 (b) Perforated sunscreening material which, when
22 tested in conjunction with existing glazing or film material,
23 has a total reflectance of visible light of not more than 28
24 35 percent and a light transmittance of no less than 30
25 percent. For those products or materials having different
26 levels of reflectance, the highest reflectance from the
27 product or material will be measured by dividing the area into
28 16 equal sections and averaging the overall reflectance. The
29 measured reflectance of any of those sections may not exceed
30 35 50 percent.
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Florida Senate - 2000 SB 1622
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1 Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 316.220, Florida
2 Statutes, is amended to read:
3 316.220 Headlamps on motor vehicles.--
4 (1) Every motor vehicle shall be equipped with at
5 least two headlamps with at least one on each side of the
6 front of the motor vehicle, which headlamps shall comply with
7 the requirements and limitations set forth in this chapter,
8 and shall show a white light. An object, material, or covering
9 that alters the headlamp's light color may not be placed,
10 displayed, installed, affixed, or applied over a headlamp.
11 Section 4. Subsection (1) of section 316.221, Florida
12 Statutes, is amended to read:
13 316.221 Taillamps.--
14 (1) Every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, and
15 pole trailer, and any other vehicle which is being drawn at
16 the end of a combination of vehicles, shall be equipped with
17 at least two taillamps mounted on the rear, which, when
18 lighted as required in s. 316.217, shall emit a red light
19 plainly visible from a distance of 1,000 feet to the rear,
20 except that passenger cars and pickup trucks manufactured or
21 assembled prior to January 1, 1972, which were originally
22 equipped with only one taillamp shall have at least one
23 taillamp. On a combination of vehicles, only the taillamps on
24 the rearmost vehicle need actually be seen from the distance
25 specified. On vehicles equipped with more than one taillamp,
26 the lamps shall be mounted on the same level and as widely
27 spaced laterally as practicable. An object, material, or
28 covering that alters the taillamp's visibility from 1,000 feet
29 may not be placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied
30 over a taillamp.
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1 Section 5. Subsections (1) and (2) of section 316.234,
2 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
3 316.234 Signal lamps and signal devices.--
4 (1) Any vehicle may be equipped and, when required
5 under this chapter, shall be equipped with a stop lamp or
6 lamps on the rear of the vehicle which shall display a red or
7 amber light, visible from a distance of not less than 300 feet
8 to the rear in normal sunlight, and which shall be actuated
9 upon application of the service (foot) brake, and which may
10 but need not be incorporated with one or more other rear
11 lamps. An object, material, or covering that alters the stop
12 lamp's visibility from 300 feet to the rear in normal sunlight
13 may not be placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied
14 over a stop lamp.
15 (2) Any vehicle may be equipped and, when required
16 under s. 316.222(2), shall be equipped with electric turn
17 signals which shall indicate an intention to turn by flashing
18 lights showing to the front and rear of a vehicle or on a
19 combination of vehicles on the side of the vehicle or
20 combination toward which the turn is to be made. The lamps
21 showing to the front shall be mounted on the same level and as
22 widely spaced laterally as practicable and, when signaling,
23 shall emit white or amber light. The lamps showing to the rear
24 shall be mounted on the same level and as widely spaced
25 laterally as practicable, and, when signaling, shall emit a
26 red or amber light. Turn signal lamps on vehicles 80 inches
27 or more in overall width shall be visible from a distance of
28 not less than 500 feet to the front and rear in normal
29 sunlight, and an object, material, or covering that alters the
30 lamp's visibility from a distance of 500 feet to the front or
31 rear in normal sunlight may not be placed, displayed,
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1 installed, affixed, or applied over a turn signal lamp. Turn
2 signal lamps on vehicles less than 80 inches wide shall be
3 visible at a distance of not less than 300 feet to the front
4 and rear in normal sunlight, and an object, material, or
5 covering that alters the lamp's visibility from a distance of
6 300 feet to the front or rear in normal sunlight may not be
7 placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied over a turn
8 signal lamp. Turn signal lamps may, but need not be,
9 incorporated in other lamps on the vehicle.
10 Section 6. Subsection (1) of section 316.237, Florida
11 Statutes, is amended to read:
12 316.237 Multiple-beam road-lighting equipment.--
13 (1) Except as hereinafter provided, the headlamps or
14 the auxiliary driving lamp or the auxiliary passing lamp or
15 combination thereof on motor vehicles shall be so arranged
16 that the driver may select at will between distributions of
17 light projected to different elevations and such lamps may, in
18 addition, be so arranged that such selection can be made
19 automatically, subject to the following limitations:
20 (a) There shall be an uppermost distribution of light,
21 or composite beam, so aimed and of such intensity as to reveal
22 persons and vehicles at a distance of at least 450 feet ahead
23 for all conditions of loading.
24 (b) There shall be a lowermost distribution of light,
25 or composite beam, so aimed and of sufficient intensity to
26 reveal persons and vehicles at a distance of at least 150 feet
27 ahead; and on a straight level road under any condition of
28 loading none of the high intensity portion of the beam shall
29 be directed to strike the eyes of an approaching driver.
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Florida Senate - 2000 SB 1622
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1 An object, material, or covering that alters the headlamp's
2 visibility from at least 450 feet for an uppermost
3 distribution of light or at least 150 feet for a lowermost
4 distribution of light may not be placed, displayed, installed,
5 affixed, or applied over a headlamp.
6 Section 7. Subsection (1) of section 316.605, Florida
7 Statutes, is amended to read:
8 316.605 Licensing of vehicles.--
9 (1) Every vehicle, at all times while driven, stopped,
10 or parked upon any highways, roads, or streets of this state,
11 shall be licensed in the name of the owner thereof in
12 accordance with the laws of this state unless such vehicle is
13 not required by the laws of this state to be licensed in this
14 state and shall, except as otherwise provided in s. 320.0706
15 for front-end registration license plates on truck tractors,
16 display the license plate or both of the license plates
17 assigned to it by the state, one on the rear and, if two, the
18 other on the front of the vehicle, each to be securely
19 fastened to the vehicle outside the main body of the vehicle
20 in such manner as to prevent the plates from swinging, with
21 all letters, numerals, printing, writing, and other
22 identification marks upon the plates clear and distinct and
23 free from defacement, mutilation, grease, and other obscuring
24 matter, so that they will be plainly visible and legible at
25 all times 100 feet from the rear or front. An object,
26 material, or covering that covers any letter, numeral, or
27 other identification mark of the license plate may not be
28 placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied upon a
29 license plate. Nothing shall be placed upon the face of a
30 Florida plate except as permitted by law or by rule or
31 regulation of a governmental agency. No license plates other
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Florida Senate - 2000 SB 1622
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1 than those furnished by the state shall be used. However, if
2 the vehicle is not required to be licensed in this state, the
3 license plates on such vehicle issued by another state, by a
4 territory, possession, or district of the United States, or by
5 a foreign country, substantially complying with the provisions
6 hereof, shall be considered as complying with this chapter. A
7 violation of this subsection is a noncriminal traffic
8 infraction, punishable as a nonmoving violation as provided in
9 chapter 318.
10 Section 8. This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.
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13 SENATE SUMMARY
14 Exempts certain law enforcement vehicles from statutory
window sunscreening requirements. Requires the Department
15 of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to exempt a motor
vehicle from statutory window sunscreening requirements
16 when the driver has a medical condition that requires
limited exposure to light. Revises standards for
17 permissible window sunscreening. Prohibits the
installation of any material the alters the visibility of
18 a headlamp, taillamp, stop lamp, or turn signal lamp or
the color of a headlamp.
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